Combustion efficiency device



Dec. 16, 194 W s. w. HARVEY 2,266,551

COMBUSTIQN EFFIGIENGYDEVICE I Filed Feb. 17, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l i :NVENTOR ORNEYS Dec. 16, 1941. f s. w. HARVEY 2,263,553

COMBUSTION EFFICIENCY DEVICE Filed Fb. 17, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE 2,266,551 COMBUSTION nmcmNoY DEVICE Sidney W. Harvey, Garden City, N. Y.

Application February 17, 1939, Serial No. 256,845 2 Claims. (01. 110-97) The invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for increasing heating efficiency in combustion chambers, and more particularly to such devices which employ means for deflecting and directing the ascending incandescent gases within the secondary combustion space.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The acccompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of

an oil heater unit with an embodiment of the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan taken on line 2-2 01.

Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, transverse section through a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 4 is a plan of one half of the disc showing support fastening means; and

Fig. 5 is a detail of the suspending device.

Objects of the invention are to provide a thermal efliciency increasing unit especially applicable to household heaters, or like units, and which operates by imposing on the incandescent gases, at the most eilective point above the combustion locus, a swirling motion directed upwardly and outwardly toward the walls and upper part of the combustion chamber, or the secondary combustion space, to provide such a unit of light weight, of thermally eflicient material, which is simple in structure, thermally efllcient in design,

or discoidal in form, the divisions between the parts being preferably on diametral lines, the whole being suspensible or positionable at a desired predetermined position above the combustion locus, and the parts being angularlyrelatively positionable so as to deflect the hot gases upwardly and outwardly with swirling and scrubbing motion against the walls and into the upper part of the combustion chamber.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, a hot water or steam heater I is shown having a secondary combustion space 2 and a series of water tubes 3. An oil burner 4 of the gun type is shown connected to supply the burning gases into a base 5, within which is the primary combustion chamcomprises a normally flat, circular disc ll, preferably of light weight insulating refractory, as that material presents numerous advantages,

among them being light weight, conducive to' easy handling, and desirable and eflicient thermal properties, as it quickly comes up to temperature at the surface and begins radiant reflection of heat, and also increases the area of high temperature surfaces in contact with the gases. Thus combustible materials not ordinarily burned are consumed by the heat reflected from the disc, and soot, smoke and odor from the fire are reduced. As here embodied, the disc II is divided diametrally into two parts, toeach of which is attached a supporting bracket [2, each bracket being in the form of a fiat, angled plate, the upper part l3 of the two plates projecting upwardly from the disc II and abutting on each other along the diametral division of the disc, and the flat parts I! of each plate rest-.

ing on the top of its half of the disc ll. At the outer edge of each of the holding brackets are two downwardly and inwardly directed fingers it, which are embedded in corresponding openings It in the refractory. The upright abutting flanges l3 of the holding brackets are connected together by a bolt l8, whereby the two halves of the disc are relatively movable about the bolt as a pivot. The back faces of these upright flanges iii are recessed to receive the bottom link of a chain i9, which link encircles the pivot and supports the entire device. The chain l9 may be anchored in any suitable means in the upper away from the primary combustion chamber,

and the fingers which engage and support the disc are embedded within the refractory, and are protected against direct contact with the flame, which causes corrosion and other deteriorative action. The parts of the disc may be firmly tightened against each other by tightening the bolt 18 and then may be positioned angularly at the angle most efilcient for the particular job by simply turning them about the bolt I8 as a pivot. The frictional engagement of the diametral faces of the two halves of the disc serves to hold them at the desired angle. Op-

tionally the angular positioning of the parts may be done first and the bolt tightened to flx them in position. The chain l8 may be set at such length as to position the entire device at the distance above the locus of intense combustion which is found most efllcient for the particular job. The construction of the disc in separable halves facilitates getting the unit into the firebox through the usually available opening, the

unit then being very readily assembled and set in the desired position within the box.

It will be clear that the pitch and path of the swirling gases rising about the disc will be demovements of the gases also have a rotary scrubbing action which enables the boiler to extract every available heat unit.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and .described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims withoutdeparting from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advanbeing angularly relatively positionable about their pivots whereby burning gases rising toward said member are deflected outwardly with a swirling motion.

2. A thermal efliciency increasing device for use within a combustion chamber, comprising a multi-part discoidal member of light-weightinsulating refractory, means for supporting the disc at its-central part, the parts of said disc being divided along diametral lines, the parts being pivotally connected to said supporting means and being angularly relatively positionable about their pivots whereby burning gases rising toward said member are deflected outwardly with a swirling motion, and supporting means attached to said member maintaining said member at a desired predetermined distance from a fixed supporting point.

SIDNEY W. HARVEY. 

